'Burn lines', or burning yourself to tan: a TikTok trend that worries dermatologists

" Burn lines ," a TikTok trend that encourages young women to burn their skin to create tan lines, has dermatologists concerned that it significantly increases the risk of skin cancer.

"I didn't wear sunscreen, I got a huge sunburn, but at least I have tan lines," read many posts on the social network, mostly made by young women.

However, ^Dr. Joël Claveau, a dermatologist specializing in skin cancer at the CHU de Québec, is sounding the alarm because the risk of developing melanoma, a very serious and potentially fatal form of skin cancer, is increased tenfold.

"It's strongly discouraged. Sunburn at a young age is the worst because skin cancer is like smoking; you accumulate damage over the years, and then it's like a lottery," explains the expert.

"In this case, the trend mainly affects young women aged 15 to 30, and it has been epidemiologically proven that these sunburns, at that age, are the worst for developing cancer at 40 or 50," he continued.

Increasing, even if it is avoidable

Since 1994, the incidence rate of melanoma has increased by 2% per year, representing the second largest overall increase in incidence among women, according to the Canadian Dermatology Association.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, the number of new cases among women in Canada in 2024 was estimated at approximately 4,800, a significant proportion of which would be among young women.

However, this is not the only dangerous trend in this style, as many suggest covering oneself in olive oil to burn more, or getting " sun tattoos ", which are tattoos made from sunburn.

"You have to be wary of the trends you see on social media because they can become dangerous. Last year, influencers recommended not using sunscreen, saying it was harmful to your skin, when it's been very clearly demonstrated that this is false."

Not very seller

The experienced dermatologist explains, however, that it is not very effective to talk about cancer to young people who do not really feel concerned.

"Rather, we need to talk to them about premature skin aging to convince them to be careful or tell them that if they're doing this to look good, it won't pay off in the long run."

He also wanted to point out that the aim is not to create a climate of fear, but rather to raise awareness of the dangers that sunburn can cause.

"We're not telling people not to go out, quite the opposite, we're just telling them to be careful. We put on sunscreen in the morning, before going out, and during the day, but the goal is not to stop people from living," he concluded.